Visit Reimbursement

Car Visit Reimbursement

First time visiting students who travel to Houghton University by car and live more than 100 miles from campus are eligible for a one-time $150 travel reimbursement (if their home address is 100-300 miles from campus) or a $300 travel reimbursement (if their home address is 300+ miles from campus).

Interested high school seniors and transfer students should:

  1. Submit an application for admission
  2. Receive their acceptance to Houghton
  3. Then schedule a visit

Required documentation for reimbursement:

  • Application for admission
  • Acceptance into Houghton University
  • Travel receipts from visiting student and guests (which can include fuel expenses, lodging expenses, and meal expenses)

After visiting, students can submit travel receipts and documentation to admission@houghton.edu, and the Admission Office will reimburse the student $150 or $300 based on their home distance from the University.

*This offer cannot be combined with other visit incentives.

Airfare Reimbursement

First time visiting students may be eligible for a 25 percent reimbursement of plane ticket costs, while students who have already been admitted at the time of their visit may be eligible for 50 percent reimbursement.

At the time of your visit, present the Admission Office a copy of your plane tickets or purchasing receipts. Then allow three weeks for us to process your request and mail out the reimbursement.

Please adhere to the following policies for reimbursement:

  • The reimbursement is only for undergraduate prospective students who have advanced into or beyond their junior year of high school.
  • If you plan to visit multiple times during the course of your college search, please note that you may request reimbursement only once.
  • You should take care to obtain the best possible travel fare, which generally entails purchasing tickets well in advance (at least two weeks for plane tickets), traveling economy class, and considering a Thursday to Sunday visit to avoid Friday and Saturday travel rates. Additionally, the student may need to submit a W-9 tax form, dependent on the amount of reimbursement.
  • Before purchasing your tickets please call the Visit Office to verify that your intended visit dates do not coincide with school breaks and are not limited to a weekend. With few exceptions, we only subsidize visits that allow prospective students to visit classes and meet with professors in addition to having an admission session and campus tour.
  • For international travel (excluding flights from Canada) please contact the Admission Office for further details; reimbursement is not guaranteed without prior approval for international travel.

Also, note these exceptions to the reimbursement offer:

  • Flights purchased with frequent flier miles or by other award programs cannot be reimbursed; we can only reimburse for actual ticket costs.
  • For flights where a visit to Houghton is among visits to other destinations (e.g., a series of flights to visit multiple colleges), some exclusions may apply to reimbursement. Please consult with the Visit Office in these situations. Exclusions may include:
    • Reimbursement of only the portion of the trip that brings you to Houghton and takes you to your next destination.
    • Less than 25%/50% reimbursement depending on other schools’ reimbursement policies.

*This offer cannot be combined with other visit incentives.

Shuttle to Houghton

We provide transportation to Houghton from major airports, bus stations and train stations in Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y. for visiting prospective students in their junior or senior year of high school who are traveling without a parent or guardian. You can request transportation by calling the Visit Office at least 10 days in advance. When you call, please have your travel details ready (e.g., airport, airline, flight #, ETA, ETD).

When planning your flights, please allow time for traveling to and from the airport.  Arriving flights should be scheduled between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., and departing flights should be scheduled between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.

If you are looking for a nearby airport, Rochester International Airport and Buffalo Niagara International Airport are both a one and one-half hour drive from Houghton University. We recommend that you determine rates to both destinations in order to find the most economical route to Houghton.